Vanessa M. Rissetto, MS, RD, CDN reviews new tots bites

Vanessa M. Rissetto, MS, RD, CDN

Vanessa is a registered dietitian with 10+ years experience in Strategic Marketing and Business Development for a wide range of industries, including pharmaceutical, technology and media. She is also a member of the Oncology DPG, Infectious Disease DPG, and the ADA, and also certified by the ADA in Adult Weight Management.

Yummy Spoonfuls Tot’s Bites:

“As a mother of two children, I’m always on the hunt for quick, easy recipes that are appealing to pre-schoolers. As a Registered Dietitian, I’m also looking for the foods I put into their bodies to be nutritious and healthy. Wasn’t it all so much easier when they were little? When my kids were between one and two they ate everything! Lamb, Brussels Sprouts, lentils – there was even some branzino at one point. Their palettes were refined, their resistance was nil, and their mom was the greatest Dietitian/Mother that ever lived… and then the terrible twos began. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: they began to assert themselves as independent thinkers and one of the easiest ways they found to do that was with their food.

First, I tested out the two products on my daughter; since she’s five and much more amenable to working with me and “helping mommy out”. I also told her if she didn’t like it, I would let her eat all the blueberries she would like. She did negotiate that I would eat them with her, I think she figured if it didn’t taste good she wouldn’t be suffering alone. Smart beyond her years, that one!

I was able to grill the bites in about five minutes, and – to my surprise and delight – shared them as a snack with her to the sound of giggles instead of tears. They really were delicious, easy to cook, and – most importantly –my daughter ate them all, AND even asked for more!

PROS: The meals were organic, whole, unprocessed (Dietitian’s tip: don’t be afraid of frozen food – for example, frozen vegetables are frozen at their peak and distributed for consumption), delicious, and easy to reheat – I think cooking on the stove top is actually best.